The present invention relates generally to cartridge autoloading apparatuses, and more particularly to a cartridge autoloading apparatus, attached to a cartridge recording and retrieval apparatus, which includes a pillar-shaped magazine accommodating a plurality of cartridges therein, and automatically loads one of the cartridges into the cartridge recording and retrieval apparatus.
As the performance ability of computers has recently been improved, a large storage capacity is now required. A magnetic tape cartridge recording and retrieval apparatus and a magnetic autoloading apparatus are used, as backup apparatuses, for a main storage of a computer, such as a hard disk storage, the autoloading apparatus sequentially loading a magnetic tape cartridge into the magnetic tape cartridge recording and retrieval apparatus.
A brief description will now be given, with reference to FIG. 1, of a conventional magnetic tape cartridge autoloading apparatus.
A magnetic tape cartridge autoloading apparatus 10 is attached to a front side of a magnetic tape cartridge recording/reproducing apparatus 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic tape cartridge recording and retrieval apparatus 11 is inserted into a rack 12, and the magnetic tape cartridge autoloading apparatus 10 projects from a front panel 13 of the rack 12. The apparatus 10 has a perforation opening 14 perforated in a vertical direction. The pillar-shaped magazine 15 is inserted into the perforation opening 14. The magazine 15 has a plurality of shelves 16 in the vertical direction thereof, each of which accommodates therein a magnetic tape cartridge 17. The apparatus 10 further includes a magazine ascending and descending mechanism 18 and a magnetic tape cartridge loading mechanism 19.
When the magazine ascending and descending mechanism 18 is driven through a predetermined command, the magazine 15 ascends in a direction Z.sub.1, or descends in a direction Z.sub.2, via the perforation opening 14, and stops at a predetermined position. Subsequently, the cartridge loading mechanism 19 is driven, and a magnetic tape cartridge 17 is moved in a direction X.sub.1, so as to be extracted from the magazine 15 and loaded into the recording and retrieval apparatus 11. After the recording and retrieval operations for the loaded magnetic tape cartridge 17 are completed, the cartridge loading mechanism 19 is driven in a reverse direction to return the magnetic tape cartridge 17 to the shelf in the magazine 15. Next, the magazine 15 is made to ascend or descend so as to be returned to the initial position.
The apparatus 10 has a safety lock mechanism 20 only at a crown plate 21 thereon. The mechanism 20 is actuated when the magnetic tape cartridge 17 is inserted with an incorrect orientation into the magazine 15 or when an operator accidentally holds his/her finger between the shelves 16 and the crown plate 21; a motor of the magazine ascending and descending mechanism 18 is immediately stopped, as a result.
However, the conventional cartridge autoloading apparatus has disadvantages. That is, if a lower magnetic tape cartridge 17-1 projects in the direction X.sub.1, as shown by the two-dotted lines in FIG. 1, due to a damaged lock tab (not shown) in the magazine 15, or if an operator accidentally puts his/her finger between the bottom plate 22 and a shelve 16, the safety lock mechanism will not work and the magazine ascending and descending mechanism 18 will continue to operate. As a result, the magnetic tape cartridge 17-1 and the magazine 15 get damaged, and an operator sometimes gets injured.